The two buying models, with real minimums
WeChat sells ads two ways. Scheduling (ζζ) buys fixed placements for fixed periods: for Moments ads, plan on roughly 50,000 RMB per campaign, with pricing revised quarterly. Auction (η«δ»·) is real-time bidding with far lower entry: Moments auction campaigns start at 1,500 RMB per day, and banner clicks start around 0.5 RMB. Those auction minimums are why a serious WeChat ads test no longer requires six figures. We confirm current rate-card numbers at booking, because Tencent adjusts them.
Ads fill the funnel. Private domain keeps it.
A follower acquired through paid campaigns costs a foreign brand roughly 15 to 40 RMB with precise targeting. That number only makes sense if you keep the follower: content, CRM, and community turn one paid click into repeat revenue. That retention side is a different discipline, and it’s covered by our WeChat agency service. Run both and the economics change; run ads alone and you’re renting attention.
What foreign brands can and cannot do
There’s no self-serve path for overseas advertisers. Accounts open through authorized service providers like us, with notarized company documents and category certifications. Restricted categories include alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and most medical products. And one rule shapes everything: your ads land inside WeChat, on a mini-program, Official Account page, or Tencent-hosted H5, never on your own website.
What changed since 2024
Two shifts matter. Channels became a serious ad surface, with feed video and livestream promotion taking budget that used to default to Moments. And pairing creators with paid budget became the standard approach: a Channels creator makes the content, and ad spend amplifies the version that works. If your last WeChat media plan predates Channels, it’s out of date.